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DD ISO/TR — Overview of Draft for Development Technical Report Standards (Water-Soluble Salt Contamination on Steel Substrates and Sputtered Depth Measurement)
DD ISO/TR Draft for Development Technical Report Series Overview (DD ISO/TR 15235 and DD ISO/TR 15969)
📄 DD ISO/TR is the British Standards Institution (BSI) “Draft for Development (DD)” series adopting ISO Technical Reports (TR). A Draft for Development is a provisional publication issued by BSI to collect practical application experience before a standard is formally established. This batch covers two single-file technical reports: DD ISO/TR 15235:2001, which collects information on the effect of levels of water-soluble salt contamination on steel substrates before application of paints and related products, and DD ISO/TR 15969:2001, which specifies measurement of sputtered depth in surface chemical analysis depth profiling. Together they serve the two directions of surface treatment quality and surface analysis measurement.
💡 A Draft for Development (DD) publication “is not to be regarded as a British Standard.” It is of a provisional nature because the source document (an ISO Technical Report) is not an international standard. It should be applied on a provisional basis so that information and experience of its practical application may be obtained.
1. Series Overview 📌
ISO Technical Reports (TR) are documents published by ISO to provide informative material and typically do not constitute international standard requirements. When BSI decides to adopt an ISO Technical Report as a Draft for Development, it publishes a DD ISO/TR publication for provisional UK application and feedback collection.
The two DD ISO/TR publications in this batch belong to different technical fields: DD ISO/TR 15235 is overseen by BSI Technical Committee STI/21 (Surface preparation of steel) and addresses steel surface preparation before painting; DD ISO/TR 15969 is overseen by BSI Technical Committee CII/60 (Surface chemical analysis) and addresses sputtered depth measurement in surface analysis depth profiling. Together they serve the two themes of “coating quality” and “analytical measurement,” both illustrating the role of the Draft for Development in accumulating technical data and facilitating standardization.
⚠️ Both technical reports are readable-text versions. A Draft for Development has a three-to-five-year validity period, after which the responsible international organization decides whether to convert it into a formal standard. This article is based on the report text and table of contents; specific content should be confirmed against the official BSI published edition.
2. Standard List and Technical Overview 📋
| Standard No. | Title | Year | Technical Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| DD ISO/TR 15235:2001 (Confirmed 2008) | Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products — Collected information on the effect of levels of water-soluble salt contamination | 2001 | Steel surface preparation/coating |
| DD ISO/TR 15969:2001 | Surface chemical analysis — Depth profiling — Measurement of sputtered depth | 2001 | Surface chemical analysis |
DD ISO/TR 15235 was published on 7 December 2001 and confirmed in June 2008; DD ISO/TR 15969 was published on 1 October 2001. Both reproduce verbatim the corresponding ISO Technical Reports.
3. Key Technical Requirements 🔧
3.1 DD ISO/TR 15235:2001 — Water-soluble salt contamination on steel substrates
This technical report collects information on the effect of levels of water-soluble salt contamination on steel substrates before painting. Key technical content includes:
- Background and purpose: Residual water-soluble salts (e.g., chlorides, sulphates) on steel surfaces cause blistering, corrosion, and loss of adhesion beneath the coating through osmotic pressure, making them a significant factor in coating quality. This report summarises research on the effect of different salt contamination levels on coating performance.
- Sources of contamination: Analyses the sources of salt contamination on steel surfaces, including abrasive contamination, coastal environment deposition, industrial atmospheric pollution, and residues from pre-treatment solutions.
- Effect patterns: Summarises data on the relationship between salt contamination levels and coating blistering, corrosion, and adhesion loss, providing a basis for surface cleanliness requirements before painting.
- Measurement and evaluation: Describes methods for measuring water-soluble salt content (e.g., conductivity method, extraction method) and gives corresponding evaluation recommendations.
3.2 DD ISO/TR 15969:2001 — Measurement of sputtered depth
This technical report specifies methods for determining sputtered depth in surface chemical analysis depth profiling. Key technical content includes:
- Scope: Applies to determining sputtered depth in depth profiling by ion sputtering in surface analysis techniques such as Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
- Measurement methods: Specifies several methods for determining sputtered depth, including crater depth measurement after sputter profiling, with applicable conditions and uncertainty assessment.
- Terms and symbols: Defines terminology and abbreviations in the depth profiling field (e.g., sputter rate, depth scale), standardising communication between laboratories.
- Quality control: Provides calibration and verification requirements for sputtered depth measurement, ensuring reliability and comparability of depth profiling results.
✅ Both technical reports provide a basis for quantifying key quality attributes: water-soluble salt contamination level directly affects coating durability, while sputtered depth directly affects the accuracy of depth profiling results. Both emphasize data accumulation and measurement consistency.
4. Representative Standard Technical Interpretation 🔍
DD ISO/TR 15235:2001
Scope: Collects information on the effect of levels of water-soluble salt contamination on steel substrates before application of paints and related products.
Key points: The report notes that steel surfaces, even when blast-cleaned to the required cleanliness, can still cause early coating failure if water-soluble salts remain. Salt contamination causes blistering through osmotic pressure and accelerates local corrosion, with the severity increasing with salt content. The report summarises test data at different salt levels, providing a scientific basis for setting soluble-salt limits before painting. In practice, a conductivity method is often used for rapid measurement of surface water-soluble salt content, with salt content per unit area (e.g., mg/m²) used as an acceptance indicator.
DD ISO/TR 15969:2001
Scope: Specifies methods for determining sputtered depth in surface chemical analysis depth profiling.
Key points: Depth profiling is an important tool for studying thin films, coatings, and interface structures. In ion-sputtering profiling, converting sputter time to depth requires an accurate sputter rate (depth sputtered per unit time). The report specifies methods for determining sputtered depth, including crater depth measurement, and provides applicable conditions, calibration procedures, and sources of uncertainty, enabling comparison of depth profiling results between laboratories. This is of significant importance in semiconductor, coating, and thin-film research and quality control.
5. Engineering Practice and Application 🛠️
In coating engineering, DD ISO/TR 15235 is used to set soluble-salt control requirements for steel surfaces before painting. For steel structures in corrosive environments such as coastal and chemical plants, surface salt detection after blast cleaning is a key step in coating quality acceptance; controlling salt content per unit area reduces early coating blistering and corrosion risk.
In surface analysis laboratories, DD ISO/TR 15969 is used for sputter-depth calibration in depth profiling. Analysts performing AES, XPS, or SIMS depth profiling determine sputter rate per the report’s methods and assess depth-scale uncertainty, improving the reliability of thin-film and coating analysis results.
Both illustrate the role of the Draft for Development in accumulating technical data: by provisional application to gather experience, they support the formalisation of standards in the relevant fields.
⚠️ Draft for Development publications do not have the status of a British Standard; their content becomes a requirement only when referenced in contracts or regulations. Check the latest BSI announcement on the subsequent status of the relevant Draft for Development before use.
6. FAQ ❓
What is a “Draft for Development”?
A Draft for Development is a provisional publication issued by BSI to collect practical application experience before its source document (e.g., an ISO Technical Report) becomes a formal standard. A DD publication “is not to be regarded as a British Standard” and has a three-to-five-year validity period, after which the responsible international organization decides whether to convert it into a formal standard.
A Draft for Development is a provisional publication issued by BSI to collect practical application experience before its source document (e.g., an ISO Technical Report) becomes a formal standard. A DD publication “is not to be regarded as a British Standard” and has a three-to-five-year validity period, after which the responsible international organization decides whether to convert it into a formal standard.
Why do water-soluble salts on steel surfaces affect coating performance?
Residual water-soluble salts (e.g., chlorides) on steel surfaces absorb water through osmotic pressure, causing blistering, corrosion, and loss of adhesion beneath the coating, leading to early coating failure. The higher the salt content, the more severe the effect, so soluble-salt content should be controlled before painting.
Residual water-soluble salts (e.g., chlorides) on steel surfaces absorb water through osmotic pressure, causing blistering, corrosion, and loss of adhesion beneath the coating, leading to early coating failure. The higher the salt content, the more severe the effect, so soluble-salt content should be controlled before painting.
Why is it necessary to measure sputtered depth in depth profiling?
Depth profiling removes material layer by layer through ion sputtering; converting sputter time to depth requires an accurate sputter rate. Only by accurately measuring sputtered depth can a reliable depth scale be established, enabling comparability of results across samples and laboratories.
Depth profiling removes material layer by layer through ion sputtering; converting sputter time to depth requires an accurate sputter rate. Only by accurately measuring sputtered depth can a reliable depth scale be established, enabling comparability of results across samples and laboratories.
Is a DD ISO/TR equivalent to a British Standard?
No. A DD publication is a provisional document without the status of a British Standard; its content becomes a requirement only when referenced in contracts or regulations. Formal standards should be established through subsequent international or national standards procedures.
No. A DD publication is a provisional document without the status of a British Standard; its content becomes a requirement only when referenced in contracts or regulations. Formal standards should be established through subsequent international or national standards procedures.
How can the official text be obtained?
Obtain the official edition of the DD publication from BSI (BSI Standards Online / British Standards Online) and check its confirmation or withdrawal status.
Obtain the official edition of the DD publication from BSI (BSI Standards Online / British Standards Online) and check its confirmation or withdrawal status.